ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the early childhood caries
(ECC) prevalence among 2-4 years old children in selected areas of Kirikkale,
Turkey. The study aims to find the association between ECC among children and
the Streptococcus mutans (S.mutans) level in their mothers. The study should also
determine possible associations between risk factors and children’s dental caries,
and the association between risk factors and children’s S.mutans level.
Methods: This is a pilot study consisting of a clinical examination and a
questionnaire, designed to collect necessary data. The study population of 60
children, aged 2-4 years old, whom have been clinically examined to determine
the ECC prevalence. The mothers’ S.mutans levels have been compared with the
ECC prevalence among the children.
Results: The ECC prevalence was 45% and mean number of primary decayed-
filled teeth (dft) 2.1. The study could not show any correlation between S.mutans
levels among mothers and ECC prevalence among children. However, the study
showed a significant association between children’s age and dft. Furthermore, the
study could not find any association between the different risk factors and dft, or
children’s S.mutans levels.
Conclusion: The current study suggests that ECC prevalence is relatively high
(45%) among preschool children in selected areas of Kirikkale, Turkey. However,
the study could not find any significant relationships between S.mutans levels
among mothers’ and children’s ECC prevalence. In consistency with earlier
studies in the field, results also suggest that the presence of S. mutans among
preschool children is strongly connected to ECC.